Root canal treatment offered by your Augusta and Evans, GA, dentists, Drs. Scott Wingard and Caleb Morris, can save your infected or inflamed tooth and end your pain. If you need a root canal, you may experience a few of these signs and symptoms.
Your tooth doesn't look the same
Problems inside your pulp may affect the appearance of your tooth. If you notice that a tooth has darkened, you might need a root canal. Although a root canal may sound like a painful or complicated treatment, the procedure isn't much different from having a cavity filled.
After you receive a local anesthetic to numb your mouth, your dentist will remove the pulp, clean the tooth, shape the root canals with tiny files, and fill the space inside your tooth with gutta-percha, a rubber-based filling material. Removing the pulp will end your pain and prevent you from losing the tooth.
You have constant or intermittent pain in your tooth
If you need a root canal, you may experience:
- Mild, moderate or severe pain that remains constant or comes and goes
- Increased pain when chewing or pressing on your tooth with your finger
- Sensitivity to hot, cold or sugary foods and beverages
Your gums are sore
Are the gums around your painful tooth sore and red? Changes inside your pulp may be the cause of your pain.
You have a dental abscess
Common abscess signs include:
- Severe, throbbing pain in your tooth or jaw
- Fever
- Feeling unwell
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Bump on the gum next to the tooth
- Facial swelling
Call the Evans or Augusta dental office immediately if you notice these symptoms. Abscesses are dental emergencies and require antibiotic treatment in addition to root canal therapy.
If any of these root canal symptoms sound familiar, it's time to pay a visit to your dentists in Augusta and Evans, GA, Drs. Wingard and Caleb Morris. Call the Evans office at (706) 250-2998 or the Augusta office at (706) 738-4723 to schedule your appointment.